The Race to Make It to the Starting Line

10/31/2011 2:05PM

For many people, signing up for a marathon is designed to jump start a serious running habit. But of those who sign up for one - paying as much as $250 -- as few as 80% ever reach the start line. Kevin Helliker has details on Lunch Break.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

go ... one so why are so many people in trouble ... just making it to the starting line that can Helliker he's in Chicago he's a big actually is can explain this to SK Kennon ... Alun allying I will find that I was amazed at the statistic in looking through your story which will be into Mars Pursell Journal ... that how so many people ... are not actually making it even to start the race to sign up finishing been in trouble starting the race what's going on with that ... this is ... a ... this is like the first big ... of a ... really good ... coach ... I'm ... the ... what all the up ... and whether RDN Tierney ... duration to Cantie ... to ... I'm ... about ... two thousand and fifty thousand runners showing up for the marathon ... don't don't show up ... our line and there are any number of reasons for that ... but with the most ... of the most common one certainly the first time ... potentially the most preventable want ... to enter ... because people are practice scene and are trained to hard up until the actual marathon and trying to cram in all those miles they think they need to do ... and they hurt themselves before the race ... when he heard from ADP which Aikate the body to trade around one to try and and the closer you get to the tothe Marathon for more ... nervous energy have about it you can you ... hear and how that now running every time you feel any and every strategy ... and a cute yes you really to develop the idea that ... the more they are ... and what running coaches say no we can't take someone ... running ... for the coast of the occupation ... when you talk to running characters about the timing here about ... right before the marathon what what what they talk about the difficulty they have ... persuading people ... to safer ... ground last ... and can enter a liras antenna and they are very serious athlete ideal run marathons ... I ran a few Marathon in ... energy ... on my ... twenties and thirties had injuries ahead of both the men and women anyway and can ... to avoid injury when and to ... triathlons ... what I went to half Ironman triathlon and they're ... not the marathon ... since the Simpsons injury where you that impressed me and our viewers I'm sure that you actually led me into my next question which is ... use it to purchase a painting Marathon despite the injury when you recommended folks do that or is that that idea and if they're not fully trained ... would you recommend it they just aren't cut off and just do the best they can and not do it over trend ... that showed the mighty dollar question ... and I am not going to put on an empty had here ... what what I did that they would like to come out ... and I and ... and and playing the ice I took ... anti inflammatory or ... over-the-counter anti inflammatory drug ... for entering the race ... I got through it I I knew from the beginning of the slower ... I'm ... trying not to not one ... but the IPO to everybody ... of the individual Kawano an important thing to remember is that ... ninety percent of those to start the race finish so ... most people who think they can finish the race ... information ... to know it's amazing that eyewitnesses avocado with any of the way to start the don't think you can tell I guess with the marathon ... no one share in the middle of it in the moment ... we just wanna cross that line and in the case or get that silver cake iced in ... I'd tell you what if you talk to marathoner in America and I and II ... Don Cerrejon them ... from coast to coast ... there's no marathon that get them or find them ... I don't know that that any sort of facial ... a declaration of ... Hrithik in recent years ... it has become capable of American ... the refining and down the them often ... of the local hunters snapped at this point I'm all right Kevin Helliker ... are special actually correspond your lunch break today he's right about in your marathon marathons in general and what prevents people from getting to the starting